Hazard boy collects pennies to help hospice patients

Employees, customers and anyone who walked through the doors of Whayne Supply in Perry County emptied their pockets for a good cause, Hospice of the Bluegrass.

Those involved said it is all because of Nick Hoskins.

"We just wanted to help the kid," said Vice President and Branch Operations Manager Tim Embry. "The kid has tremendous character."

All of their donations added up quickly.

The Whayne Supply team raised more than $1,000.

Hoskins said this proves generosity is contagious.

"It feels really good knowing I have their support," said Hoskins.

Hoskins said no donation is too small and hopes this will encourage others to get involved.-------------------------------------------------HAZARD, Ky. (WYMT) - People requiring hospice care in eastern Kentucky were helped out Monday by the smallest of donations.

The next time you see a penny on the ground, pick it up and give it to Nick Hoskins. In the past five years he has collected nearly $2,000 in coins - mostly pennies - and donated all of it to hospice care patients in Perry County.

"All my friends, family members and my grandparents just give me pennies," said Hoskins, who is a sixth-grader at R.W. Combs Elementary School. "And sometimes I find pennies in the car and I just pick them up from the street and everything."

It took Nick a little more than two months to come up with Monday's donation - two coffee cans full of currency.

He even asked for pennies on his birthday earlier this month.

Hoskins has been pinching pennies since 2008, a feat that earned him recognition Monday from State Senator Brandon Smith and State Representative Fitz Steele with an honorary proclamation from the Kentucky Senate floor.

"Hospice's mission is to make sure people have quality end-of-life care and that it's comfortable end of life care that we can provide peace to the families," Hospice of the Bluegrass spokeswoman Kim Livesay said. "So every penny that Nick brought in today really provides that for the people in our community."

Hoskins said, "It just makes me feel happy inside that I'm helping other people. Just a great feeling and you just feel the need to do it again."

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